Spraying mechanism for livestock cars



Sept. l5, 1953 .1. M. coYNER 2,652,024

SPRAYING MECHANISM FOR LIVESTOCK CARS Filed DBC. 26, 1951 INVNTOR.' fm

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. l5,r 1953 SPRAYING IVIECHANISM FOR LIVESTOCK CARS JamesM. Coyner, Madison, Wis.

Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,295

3 Claims. (Cl. 119-7) This invention relates to a livestock car andspraying mechanism.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 241,011, filed August 9, 1951.

The equipment of a livestock car with eflicient watering, feeding, etc.equipment haslong presented a serious problem. Suggestions have beenmade for raising troughs above the floor, introducing water intotroughs, and for spraying water on to hard floors, but the equipment hasnot been able to withstand the severe jolting and hammering effect ofrailway travel. When a stock train or freight train stops and starts,there is a severe jerking and jolting of the cars, and any equipmentwithin the cars is subjected to heavy blows which tend to destroy theequipment or to batter the car walls. While the suggestions have beenmade, no one has heretofore produced a livestock car equipped with suchfeeding and watering devices which could be successfully employed, andup to the present time it has remained the practice to stop the carsperiodically in transit, carry troughs into the cars, and after feedingthe stock to remove the troughs, or, alternatively, to drive the stockfrom the cars and into feeding lots. The foregoing results in longdelays, requires considerable labor, and has long been unsatisfactory.

The wetting of stock by sprays has been found unsatisfactory and anunhealthful procedure. An atomized spray or mist-like application ofwater is not injurious, but is desirable. However, up to the presenttime, no means has been provided for the application of moisture in thismanner.

An object of the present invention is to provide a livestock carequipped with feeding and watering means and with means for applying anatomized spray of water to the stock, while at the same time providingmeans which stabilize and protect the troughs in their lowered andelevated positions and while also facilitating the raising and loweringof the troughs from inside and outside the car. Another object is toequip at least one end of the car with water supply means whereby watercan be introduced into a trough while further utilizing the compressedair supply of the car for atomizing Water at the end of the car forapplying a mist of spray to the stock. Yet another object is to providein combination with a railway car equipped with compressed air, meanswhereby the compressed air is utilized in atomizing water to form aspray to apply to the stock carried within the car. YetY another objectis to Yprovide a car structure of the character set forth equipped withfeeding, watering, and spraying means in the arrangement and for thepurposes shown. Other specic objects and advantages will appear as thespecification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment, by theaccompanying drawing, in which the single ligure shows a railway car incross-section equipped with spraying means embodying my invention.

In the illustration given, A designates a livestock car provided with afloor ID, side walls I I, a roof or top wall I2, and an end wall I3. Itwill be understood that yany type of stock car or stock-transportingvehicle may be employed. 1n the illustration given, the side walls IIare formed with slats I Il conforming to the usual practice in thefabrication of stock cars. The car may be provided with a single flooror with two iioors, and the equipment may be varied for the provision ofwatering, feeding, and cooling means for the compartments thus formed.The side walls of the car are preferably provided with guide means I5for supporting troughs I 6, the features of such construction beingshown more fully in my co-pending application, Serial No. 241,011, filedAugust 9, 1951.

At one end I3 of the car is supported a large water storage tank Il,which is preferably provided with a filling pipe I8 extending throughthe roof of the car and provided with a cap I9. A water spray tank 20 issupported below tank Il upon the beam 2I, and is adapted to receiveWater from tank Il through the gravity flow pipe 22 controlled by valve23.

A compressed air tank 24 is supported in the upper portion of the caradjacent the tanks I'I and 20, and compressed air is supplied to thetank through the pipe 25 leading to a compressed air reservoir 25 at thebottom of the car A.

If the car is a railway car, the pipe 25 may connect with the usualcompressed air tank employed for supplying compressed air for brakes. lfthe car is a truck or other type of gas-propelled vehicle. thecompressed air tank ordinarily carried by such vehicles may be connectedwith the pipe 25. A check valve 21 may be employed to prevent the escapeof gas pressure from tank 24 and, if desired, the pipe 25 may beprovided also with a manually-operable valve 2B.

Connecting the compressed air tank 24 and the water-filled tank 20 is apipe 29, provided with a control valve 30.

Spray pipe apparatus is preferably connected to the tank 20 and isextended across one end or longitudinally of the car, as desired. In theillustration given, a pipe 3| extends along one end of the car and thenforwardly longitudinally of the car, and the pipe is provided with aplurality of jets 32 through which the water may be discharged under theforce of compressed air to form sprays. The pipe 32 is preferablyprovided with a joint connection 33 permitting the forward pipe portion34 to be swung laterally across the car for efficient spraying of thestock.

Operation In the operation of the structure, the tank 20 is lled to thedesired extent with water from the tank l1 and then the valve 23 isclosed to break the connection between the two tanks. Valve 30 is thenopened to allow compressed air to ow into the water spray tank 20. Undersuch pressure the water is discharged through the spray nozzles 32 toform a mist-like spray upon the stock below. Compressed air from thereservoir 2'6 flows through pipe 25, check valve 2l, and thence into thecompressed air tank 24 to keep the tank supplied with suiiicient air tobring about the spraying operation to the extent desired.

While the invention has been described herein particularly in connectionwith a railway livestock car, it will be understood that the inventionis likewise applicable to other vehicles or cars such as automobiletrucks, etc., and in the use of the term livestock car in the appendedclaims, it will be understood that such term is intended to covervarious vehicles used for the transportation of stock.

While in the foregoing specication, I have set forth a specic structureillustrating one embodiment of the invention, it will be understood thatsuch details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a livestock car equipped with a compressed air reservoir, a watertank supported in the upper portion of said car, a spray tank supportedtherebelow and connected to the water tank by a valve-controlledconduit, a compressed air tank communicating with said car reservoir, avalve-controlled conduit connecting said compressed air tank and saidWater spray tank, and a spray conduit leading from said Water spray tankacross a portion of said car and equipped with spray orifices therein.

2. In a livestock vehicle equipped with a compressed air line, a watertank supported in the upper portion of the vehicle, a spray tanksupported therebelow and connected to the water tank by avalve-controlled conduit, a conduit connecting said compressed air lineand said water spray tank, and a spray conduit leading from said Waterspray tank across a portion of said vehicle and equipped with sprayorifices therein.

3. The structure of claim 2, in Which said spray conduit has ahorizontal portion extending across the vehicle and a second horizontalportion rotatably mounted upon said rst-mentioned portion and extendingacross the vehicle, said conduit portions being provided with sprayorifices.

JAMES M. COYNER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 237,692 Murphey Feb. 15, 1881 239,527 McPherson Mar. 29, 1881246,926 Ward Sept. 13, 1881 250,862 Williams Dec. 13, 1881 883,132 GoffMar. 24, 1908 1,273,311 Barnes July 23, 1918

